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Inflation is “destroying any joy we may have been able to afford,” the airman wrote. “We are literally grasping at pennies to survive and it’s killing us.”Statements from the airman — stationed at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico — and many others came in response to Military Times’ call for comments on how inflation has impacted service members and their families.Most responded with a common theme: Families are “cutting back” or “eliminating” everything from grocery shopping and driving to subscription services, vacations and eating out.Consumer prices were up by 3% from June 2023 to June 2024, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. That’s on top of inflation over the previous several years.“Literally turning a trip to McDonald’s into a big event. How sad is that?” wrote Airman 1st Class Onorio Franco Jr., stationed at Holloman AFB.“A trip to McDonald’s for my wife, 1-year-old daughter and myself is upwards of $40. That’s just one meal,” he added. “For two 6-inch subs and two drinks from the commissary, it costs $20. … Obviously on an E-3 pay we cannot afford to go out and enjoy that.”An Air Force tech sergeant stationed at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, said he and his wife are spending twice as much on groceries at their local grocery store as they were in 2021.Once a week they’re spending an average of $200 to $210 — compared to $100 to $130 in 2021 — for their family of four children.Melissa Godoy’s husband is an Army sergeant first class stationed at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Washington.“Even at his [E-7] pay, we are stil …
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